THE former Garscadden Primary School could be sold to a housing association to kick-start a 70-home development.

Glasgow councillors are recommended to approve the £196,000 sale of the Hurlford Avenue building to Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) when they meet on Thursday.

GHA has plans to create a "mix of flats and houses for mid-market rent" once demolition works have been completed.

Demolition and site clearance costs have been estimated at a cost of £340,000.

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"These costs have been fully reflected in the negotiated purchase price for the site," a report to councillors states.

GHA is "keen to press on" with the demolition of the school buildings and has requested consent to being before the sale has been completed.

The site is currently made up of the main two-storey building, with single-storey wings and a gymnasium block.

The full cost of the demolition works will be met by GHA whether or not the sale actually goes ahead.

"While it would not be normal practice to provide a licence for works of this nature prior to the conclusion of a disposal, the licence will enable the purchaser to press on with their plans and allow them to adhere to their strict development timescales for redevelopment of the site," the report adds.

"In the event that the purchaser was not to conclude the sale, Glasgow City Council would not be disadvantaged as it would benefit from having a cleared site at no expense and ready for immediate marketing."

If planning consent for more than 70 homes is obtained, the housing association will pay the council £2800 for each additional unit "no later than six months from the date of the revised planning".

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The school was closed in 2017 and "declared surplus to the council's operation requirements", with pupils moving to Clyde Primary. It merged with the former Yorker Primary on the Clyde campus.

St Brendan's Primary and Yokerburn Nursery make up the rest of the site.

The new building, set over three floors, has 26 classrooms, while each school has its own media library and nurture room with separate staff facilities. When they opened, Clyde Primary had 336 pupils and St Brendan's 220 pupils while the nursery has 117.

The council's executive director of regeneration and the economy and director of governance and solicitor to the council will conclude the sale if councillors agree to it at a meeting of the contracts and property committee.